An Ecological Study of the Fauna Inhabiting the Sublittoral Marine Alga Saccorhiza polyschides (Lightf.) Batt.

Abstract

The animals found on the fronds of the laminarian alga Saccorhiza polyschides are described. The sporophytes supported a fauna which was distinct from that of the surrounding rock, but was basically similar to that of other laminarian algae. Several animal species were however, much more abundant on S. polyschides than on other laminarians. A number of species were found to have a localised distribution on the host plant. The distribution of the epifauna on the alga seems to be chiefly the result of factors in the external environment particularly the degree of water movement and of silting. The epifauna varied in abundance and composition at different sites. In localities exposed to excessive water turbulence only a few species survived, although the gastropods Patina pellucida and Lacuna vincta were at their most abundant in such localities. Marked seasonal variations in the composition of the epifauna were found at Port Erin, Isle of Man, over a period of two years. The variations were related to both the seasonal behaviour of the animal species and to the annual cycle of growth and decay exhibited by the host plant. It is clear that the plant and its epifauna are each an important factor in the ecology of the other.